We have a new member in The Singapore Club of Groupies-who-Deny (that they are Groupies)*.
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Other than dust, things in my room and very much everywhere else don’t just fall into place by themselves. Someone, namely you and I, have to use some energy to make some moves and put them into place. I learnt that when I started keeping my room clean. It’s not that I’ve never kept clean in my life but I’ve never had to keep up the neat and clean at the same time for so long. (note: there’s a difference between neat and clean.)
You ask why I should make the effort to be neat and clean now. Well, I have a new room and although in my perspective, it’s so clean and so neat but who cares about my perspective? It’s not enough for my dad and other nay-sayers (namely the Aunties with capital A). Not just the normal, “auntie, please pass the salt!” but “Auntie, you are my relative and my, my, you do have a lot to say!”
Never mind. My point is dust is indomitable. DUST IS US!
Dust is omnipresent regardless of time and space.
李白 said：
今人不見古時月,今月曾經照古人。
古人今人若流水,共看明月皆如此。
He could have said the same for dust because it is true!
Why do I painstakingly sweep and mop the floor only to have it be dusty again the next day? Why do I clean my shelves today when I have to do it again in 3 day’s time? Why? Why must I do that? Can’t I let the dirt culminate to a paramountcy before I combat them in one fell swoop? Say, once a week? No, I cannot. Why? Because it’s dirty and dirty is bad! Fine, but can’t I be not impeccably but manageably clean?
Manageably clean:
- Sweep & Mop own room (& other areas depending on time and mood) 2x/week
- Wipe/Dust shelves in own room 2x/week
- Make own bed 4x/week
- Pack own stuff in general 2x/week
Reasonable?
That already takes a lot of time and effort from me and I AM MAKING THE EFFORT!
People expect me to keep clean. These are people with either plenty of time on their hands with nothing else to do or people with maids or family members who are cleaning away behind-the-scenes. Good for them! But I do not have a maid nor do I have ample time to keep my room religiously clean. Nobody in my house likes to keep clean (my dad likes things clean, but he gets others to keep them clean. Ming is neat, not necessarily clean). I didn't expect my old place to be squeaky clean, neither do I expect my new place to be! In fact, I took a warped pride in telling people that, yes my place is messy because we all hate cleaning. By the way, do you do housework?
Anyway, if you currently cannot hold down my ‘Manageably clean’ schedule mentioned above, then don’t say that my room is messy. If you are one of those possessed cleaning family members, then we’re obviously not the same type of people, that’s why my room is not like yours. Finally, if you are the people who don’t do a thing but lives in a clean habitat because you have a maid or a possessed cleaning family, then surprise~! My room is still none of your business~!
So from now on, when you comment on the cleanliness of my room, it’s either fantastically neat/clean or manageably neat/clean. Please do not mention dirty or messy. If you absolutely have to, you can precede it with a negative e.g.: not dirty/not messy.
Thank you very much.
There is only one focal piece in my room.
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*If you are still unsure and so want to know of the criteria for entrance, look to Huiwen who’s an exemplary member.
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